Improvement in envelope-machines



UNITED STATES ROBERT PARKS, OF PHILADELPHIA,

PATENT (")EEicEO PA., ASSIGNOR TO E. J. SPANGLER,

W. E. LOCKWOOD, AND E. D. LOGKWOOD, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN- ENVELOPE-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,325,ldated July 10, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT PARKS, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Envelope-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to certain improvements in machinery for making envelopes of the class for which Letters Patent were granted to S. E.'Pettee March 22, 1859, my improvements, which are fully described hereinafter,

having been made with the view of simplifying the mechanism heretofore employed for the sai'ne purpose, and of so constructing several parts that the machine can be readily adjusted to make, with great rapidity, envelopes of different sizes and forms. V

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation `On reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ot this specification, Figure 1, Drawing N o. l, is a vertical section of my improved envelope-machine Fig. 2, Drawing No. l, a plan view; Fig. 3, Drawing No. 2, a side view of the machine; Fig. 4, a vertical section on the line l 2, Fig. 3 ;l Fig. 5, a plan view of part of the machine; Fig. 6, an inverted plan view of the cross-head; Fig. 7, a

transverse section on the line 3 4, Fig. 3; Fig.

8, a vertical section of the pasting device drawn to an enlarged scale; Fig. 9, a detached view of part of the machine, and Fig. 10 a diagram illustrating the operation of the machine.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A and A are the opposite side frames of the machine, and in these frames turns the main driving-shaft B. (Best observed on reference to Fig. 7.) To the cranked portion a of this shaft is adapted a block, b, which is fitted to and arranged to slide in a yoke, C, and on each end, and forming a part of the latter, is a cross-bar, c, to each of which are secured the lower ends of the guiding-rods D D, the four rods passing through and being guided by a plate,E, and by tubular projections c' beneath the plate, which is secured to the top of the opposite side frames,the upper end of the rods being secured to lugs d on the cross-head F, as seen in Figs.l,2,and 3,and in the inverted plan view, Fig. 6, on reference to which view the peculiar construction of the said crosshead,with its knives and creasers, will be best observed. Thus. from the under side ot' the cross-head project the four creasingplates c an'd e and f and f', arranged in the rectangular form illustrated, and determining the size of the envelope, as described hereinafter.

Adjacent to the end creaser j are the two inclined knives g and g', and adjacent to the end creaser f are two similar inclined knives, g and g. A short distance in the rear of the creaser e are the two short knives h and h.

It should be understood that the above-described knives and creasers, by which the preparatory steps in the formation of the envelope are efected, are not permanently secured to the cross-head, but to a plate, G, which can be readily detached from the crosshead to make Way for a plate having. diiferently-arranged knives and creasers.

From another portion of the cross-head projects the angular knifet' and the two side frames, j and j', which are also secured to a plate, G', detachable from the cross-head. These detachable plates G and G are most important features, as they enable me to readily adjust the machine to make envelopes of' different sizes and forms.

To the upper plate, E, of the machine is secured a detachable plate, H, in which are formed shallow grooves 7c la k k, arranged in the rectangular form illustrated, and so as to receive the blades e and e and f and j" of the cross-head, inclined openings t and l being formed in the plate H, and arranged to receive the knives g and g of the cross-head, and inclined openings m and m in the same plate to receive the knives g and g, while the knives h and h of the cross-head pass through openings n and a ofthe plate H. It should be understood that near each opening a steel piece with a sharp cutting-edge is let into the plate- H.

I is a plate so secured to the plate E of the machine as to be readily detached therefrom,

this plate I projecting into an opening, p, in`

the said plate E, and being furnished. with cutting-edges q g, adapted to the knives j j I be readily adjusted on the same from and toof the cross-head. Another detachable plate, J, is secured to the plate E of the machine, and is furnished with an angular knife, r, the edge of which coincides with that of the angular knife t' on the cross-head, there being a suitable angular space, s, intervening between the cutting-edge of the knife r and the rear edge of the plate I.

From the cross-head F projects a bar, K, Fig. l, carrying at the end a blade, L, the lower edge of which is caused to thrust the partly-formed envelope between the two rollers L and L', which are caused to revolve in the direction of their arrows byany suitable system of gearing.

In suitable bearings A A, Fig. 2, turns a shaft, t', carrying a pulley, A", which bears against the periphery of the pulley 15"', Fig. 1, on a shaft, u', the latter turning in the opposite side frames of the machine, and being furnished at one end with a ratchet-wheel, u', Fig. 3, to which an intermittent rotating motion is imparted by a crank, M, on the drivingshaft B through the medium of the adjustable con nectin g-rod M', lever N, hung looselyy to the shaft u, and the pawl N', which is maintained in contact with the periphery of the ratchetwheel a' by a suitable spring.

It will be seen on reference to Fig. l that the point of contact of the two pulleys t" and t'" is on a level, or nearly so, with the upper surface of the plate E.

P and P' are two sliding bars, (best observed on reference to Fig. 5,) to which a simultaneous but intermittent reciprocating motion from and toward each other is imparted by the devices illustrated in Fig. 4. The upper arm of a vertical lever, Q, hung to the frame-work of the machine, passes through the end of each bar, the lower arm of the said lever Q being provided with a curved slot, through which passes the bent end of a pin, Q', projecting from the yoke G.

By the vertical reciprocating movement of the yoke such a vibrating movement is imparted to the levers Q, that the bars P and P' are suddenly moved one toward the groovet in the plate H, Fig. 5, and the other toward the groove It', the bars, owing to the peculiar form of the levers Q, retreating from each other after remaining in their advanced position but a short time.

Adjacent to each of the bars P P' is a stationary but detachable folder consisting 'of a plate, R, having a projection, R', secured to the plate H. The rear of each plate R is at and nearly in contact with the plate H, while the opposite end is turned upward and outward, as illustrated in Fig. 5. A set-screw, o, passes through each folder and bears againstk the plate H, so that the at portion of the folder may be accurately adjusted to and from the said plate H to suit the paper of which the envelopes have to be made.

Two receptacles, w and w', containing paste, are so secured to a slotted cross-bar, x, as to ward each other. Each end of the cross-bar x is secured to a rod, y, Figs. l and 9, which passes through and is guided by the upper plate, E, of the machine.

Each rod has an arm, T, resting on a cam, U, secured to the driving-shaft B. (See Fig. 9.) These cams are so formed that the rods y and their cross-bar .t are maintained in an elevated position during the greater portion of the revolution of the driving-shaft, the cams permitting the cross-bar x, with its receptacles, to be depressed for a short time only.

The construction of the receptacle is illustrated by the enlarged view, Fig. 8, each receptacle consisting of a cylindrical casing, tlie lower end of which is nearly closed by aroller, w', a rotary motion being imparted to the rollers of the two receptacles by cog-wheels x' on a shaft, x", caused to revolve in projections on the cross-bar x, Fig. 2, by any suitable system of straps or gearing.

To the front of each receptacle w, Fig. S, is secured a spring-plate, c', which is rendered adjustable to and from the roller w' by a small set-screw, w3. This plate t' can be readily so adjusted as to prevent more paste than is absolutely necessary from bein g transferred from the receptacle by the periphery of the roller to the envelope.

Operation: The paper is submitted to the machine in a continuous strip from an adjacentroller, and is passed between the peripheries of the pulleys A" and A"', the width of the sheet being represented by the red lines 3 illustrated by reference to the diagram, Fig.

10, which illustrates the progressive formation of the envelope from a strip of paper, which is represented by the figure 3.

The first operation in the formation of the envelope is the cutting of the incisions 4, the formation of a rectangular crease defined by the lines 5 5' and G 6', and the severing ofthe paper at the inclined lines 7 7' and 8 8'.

The incisions 4 4 are made by the knives l1, and h' of the cross-head passing through the openings n n' of the plate H, and the cutting of the paper at the points 7 7 and 8 8' is effected by the inclined knives g, g', g", and g of the cross-head passing into the openin gs tt' and m m' of the plate H, while the rectangular crease is effected by the blades c and e' and f and j" of the cross-head passing into the grooves 7c, 7c', 7c", and 7c"' of the said plate H. This rectangular crease in the paper is a preparatory step of much importance, as it determines aceurately the size of the envelope and the certain position of the folds in the same. It also serves to turn up the opposite folds, 9 9, Fig. l0.

It should be understood that during the above-described operation the paper is stationary, the motion of the wheels t" and t"' having been for the time arrested but after the operation has been completed the movement of the paper is continued. Immediately on the commencement of this movement the bars P and P' are simultaneously moved toward each other, so as to temporarily cover the corners 10 10, Fig. 10, made by the incisions 7,

7', and 8 5 but for this provision to keep down these corners they might turn up and seriously interfere with the subsequent proper operations of the machine on the paper. After accomplishing the desired duty the bars P and P' retreat.

As the movement ofthe paper is continued the turned-up folds 9 9 pass beneath the stationary folders R R, and are by the latter turned down onto the surface of the paper, as shown at 9' 9', Fig. 10.

During the continued movement of the paper the pasting-receptacles are permitted to fall and to remain in a depressed position so long only as their rollers impart a coating of paste to the opposite edges of the paper from the point 1l to the point 12, Fig. 10, both the turned-down folds 9' 9 and the paper which has to be secured to them being thus coated with paste, and care being taken that no paste is imparted to any other portion of the envelope. After a further movement of the paper its motion is again arrested, so as to be subjected to the action ofthe knives j, j', and i' of the cross-head, in connection with the knives q, q', and r on the plate F of the machine, the knives j andy" severing from the edges ofthe paper the superfluous strips 13 13, (shown by dotted lines, Fig. 10,) and the knife t' severing the paper at the angular line 14. The severed and pasted strip 15 is now struck on the line 16 by the blade L, which thrusts it between the rollers L and L', the latter folding the strip, so that it will assume the form shown at 17, Fig. 10, and at the same time pressing the pasted edge of one fold against that of the other. The envelope is now complete with the exception of being dried and having its flap 18 gummed.

The object of the incisions 4 4, Fig. 10, may be described as follows: These incisions appear at different points, 4', 4", and 4"', during the progressive operations in the manufacture of the envelope, and they are, in fact, a preparatory step for determining the length of the folds 19 and for removing the superliuous corner-pieces 20.

Although I have, for the sake of convenience, described the several operations as being accomplished progressively, it should be understood t at during one descent of the crossheed th preliminary cutting and creasing, the foldi g, pasting, and severing are all accomplished at the same time, but on different portions o the strip.

Machine; for making envelopes of the class lluded to, and having knives and creasers arranged sub tantially as herein described, have been hereto ore used. They have, however, been of the 0st complex character, objectionable cams ha ing been used for effecting many ents, on the supposition that the cutters should descend with a very rapid movement in order to act on'the paper properly.

In my invention simplification is attained by making the cross -head F, carrying the knives and creasers, move upward and downward at the same speed. This enables me to use the ordinary crank-motion in place of cams traverse of the paper can be altered at pleasure. It will be observed on reference to Fig. 3 that the connecting-rod M' is adjustable in its length and also adjustable on the crank M. By adj Listing the rod M' the extent of the movement of the ratchet-wheel u' may be varied at pleasure, and the extent of the traverse of the paper altered, as circumstances may require.

l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The crosshead F, carrying knives and creasers, arranged substantially as described, and having a uniform reciprocating motion imparted to it, substantially as set forth, for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the cross-head F, guide-rods D, or their equivalents, yoke C, and crank-shaft B.

3. The plate G, made detachable from the.

cross-head, and having critters and creasingplates, arranged substantially as set forth.

4. The plate G', with its knives, the whole being madeV detachable from the cross-head, for the purpose specified.

5. The plate H, with its grooves and openings, the whole being made detachable from the stationary plate E of the machine, for the purpose described.

6. The combination of the detachable plate I and its cutting-edges q g with the detachable plate J and its knife r.

7. The bars P and P', arranged and operating substantially as described.

8. The stationary folders R, constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as set forth.

9. The adjustable connecting-rod M', rendered adjustable on the crank, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT PARKS. Witnesses:

JOHN WHITE,

Orr-Aramis HowsoN. 

